Want A Kiss?
by lorann
Summary: Xxbefore Leslie's deathxX Ah yes. It was Valentine’s Day. Not just an ordinary Valentine’s Day, oh no. This year, Leslie actually had a Valentine. xoneshotx


Whoa. I got this up before midnight. It's only 11:20pm on Valentine's Day! Amazing, no?

So I started this the other day. I hated it. I finished it today. I'm 'meh' about it. Oh, and just so you know...on Misteltoe? I saw you people who didn't review. I really did, I saw right through my computer screen into yours. So you better watch out before I shank you with a grapefruit.

Haha. I know I'm weird, I'm kidding. I love anyone who reads this. It just makes me feel so happy when you leave your thoughts and, or opinions. Good or bad, anything makes me happy. Seriously. Or maybe that's the sugar overload from Valetine's candy...Anywho.

**Disclaimer**: I. Don't.Own.Anyone. Except Fred. I do love my Freds, can you tell?

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**Want A Kiss?**

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Ordinarily, Leslie Burke was a very patient girl. She let things take their time, go at their own pace. She enjoyed waiting for her best friend to realize something she'd figured out long ago. She enjoyed his embarrassment of not noticing something as soon as she did even more. 

This was no ordinary day.

Perhaps this would explain why Leslie was thrashing around the kitchen, shouting at the top of her lungs and coughing once in a while as another poof of dust rose from her mixing bowl.

Ah yes. It was Valentine's Day. Not just an ordinary Valentine's Day, oh no. This year, Leslie actually had a Valentine.

"Valentine, O Valentine…uhm…I'll be your love and you'll be mine." Leslie rolled her eyes upon hearing her best friend's voice just after the closing of her front door. "We'll care for each other, rain or…fine." She heard Jess scoff before continuing. "And in 90 years we'll be 99. What the _heck_. This is such a lame poem. Forget you, Ian Serr-Serraillier or what's-your-name."

Jess Aarons slapped a piece of paper on the kitchen counter before taking in his surroundings. "Les? Did your pantry explode?" He asked curiously, looking at her and attempting a serious face.

"Shut _up_, Jess Aarons!" Leslie shrieked, waving the wooden spoon wildly in the boy's direction. He winced as particles of flour landed in his eye. "I am trying to concentrate!"

"Well I'm trying to be romantic like you told me to. I even got a poem out of a stupid books for you, woman." He grabbed the paper again, clutching as if it would solve every problem in the world. Leslie growled in frustration, just as the oven timer went off. Much to the dismay of Jess' ears, his blonde friend let out a scream, though he wasn't sure if she was excited or extremely angry.

"Move it!" She exclaimed, shoving past him as she pulled mismatching oven mitts over her delicate hands. Jess stumbled against the counter and rolled his eyes. Leslie yanked open the oven door, only to be unpleasantly greeted by a cloud of smoke. She began coughing endlessly as Jess laughed at her.

"Goodbye, culinary school." He joked as he eyed the bowl of homemade pink frosting that happened to be within reach.

"Did I not tell you to shut up?"

"Why yes. Yes, you did."

"Then why aren't you?" Leslie spun around, planting her hands on her hips and staring coldly at the naïve boy.

"Since when do I listen to you, Leslie?" Jess gave her a lopsided smile, raising an eyebrow.

"Since forever." She rolled her eyes, knowing it was a very uneducated response, but once again this was not an ordinary day.

"Oh…true." Jess nodded in agreement, before casually reaching over and swiping his pinkie through the thick, pink substance also known as frosting.

"Don't you touch that frosting, Jesse!" Leslie scurried over and smacked his arm with the oven mitts clutched in her hands.  
"Ow! Don't hit me, those are hot!" Jess side-stepped away from her, scowling at the uncomfortable warm spot on his tan forearm.

"That frosting is for the _cookies_."

"What _cookies_?"

"Do not start with me, boy." She pointed at him as the oven mitts flopped to the side. Jess tilted his head the same way.

"Boy?"

"Man-boy."

"Oh that's much better." He rolled his eyes. "Why are you so grumpy anyways? Usually we'd have eaten all the frosting by now."

"Because, Jess! It's Valentine's Day tomorrow."

"I'm aware." He nodded, his eyes wide, as if addressing a five-year-old, which caused a sour look to make itself comfortable on Leslie's features. "That's why I recited that weird poem."

"You could have picked a better one you know, and at least tried to memorize instead of writing it down." She shook her head, making her way over to the one of many failed batches that turned out halfway decent. She turned and glared at him before grabbing the pink frosting and a butter knife.

"How dare you insult my poetry choice. I worked for like, five minutes to find that." He said with a stomp of his foot.

"Drama queen." Leslie said under her breath.

"Leslie!" Jess looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm a _boy_."

"Really?" Leslie feigned shock as she turned to look at him, putting her hand to her chest. "Oh my. I had no idea." Jess narrowed his eyes at her.

"Whatever. I never wanted to do this dumb Valentine's stuff anyways." He huffed and slapped his paper down, turning and striding out of the Burke's kitchen.

"Snicker doodle." Leslie looked after him with a frown.

"Don't call me that!"

"I meant the _cookies_."

"What _cookies_?"

"Leave already!"

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Ordinarily, Jess Aarons never was a patient boy. He usually got into arguments easily, and if he didn't understand something he had a tendency to give up and move on. Even though his best friend had coaxed him out of his bad habits when he was around her, the rest of the world saw him as a very impatient child. 

Today was no exception.

"But I don't _get_ it, Fred." Jess sighed at the blonde boy, who seemed utterly confused at Jess' dilemma.

"Neither do I, so why'ya asking me?" Fred wrinkled his nose, tilting his head to the side.

"Because everyone else told me to shut up." Jess deadpanned. Fred nodded slowly, understanding this at the least. "But girls are just so weird! I offered to be her Valentine because she's never had one, and as her best friend it's basically my duty, right?" He jumped back into ranting about his current best friend troubles. Fred sighed exaggeratedly, before nodding.

"Sure."

"And I learned that retarded poem! Well, I wrote it down. I guess we're supposed to be nine for it to work, I guess nothing really rhymes with twelve…at least an age, and – " The loud buzz of the school bell rang through the school, giving Fred the chance to leap from his seat and escape as fast as he could.

Jesse growled in frustration, turning in his seat to gather his notebook and things to put in his bag, but was surprised to see his desk clear and backpack gone. In their place was an oddly shaped, folded piece of black paper.

Curiosity getting the best of him, Jess picked up the paper and unfolded it, realizing it was a black heart with white crayon spelling out a message.

_Come to my locker._

_-The Queen_

Jess furrowed his eyebrows, refolding the small heart as he stood, tucking it safely in his pocket. Was Leslie ready to apologize? For what, he wasn't sure. But he had gotten offended by an off-hand comment by her yesterday and he felt as if she needed to tell him she was sorry.

After double-checking for his backpack, he decided Leslie had taken it or it had been stolen. So he headed off to Leslie's locker, only to find she wasn't there. Instead, another small black heart was peeking out between the slits of the unnaturally colored metal door. Jess snatched it, suddenly a little excited to see where this would lead him.

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Jess sighed in frustration as he scanned the playground outside. He had four identical black hearts now in his pocket, one in his hand, all leading him in what he now assumed was a wild Terabithian-goose chase. He frowned and reread the latest clue again. 

_The playground is where the next heart is put, where you seek to have some fun. Find where you fall at the slip of a foot, and always to nowhere you'll run. _

_-Your Queen_

"What the heck." He said under his breath, looking around the playground again. This time, his eyes landed on his little sister Maybelle. She had just fallen off a plastic, spinning log of sorts, supported by two wooden poles that kept it and place so you could run and make it spin, but you never went anywhere…unless you fell.

"Maybelle help me figure this out!" A very clueless Jess called over to her. Maybelle just giggled and shook her head, dusting her tattered dress off before flinging herself on the plastic log again, flipping over the other side. Jess noticed a black heart speed by as it spun. "Oh…" He pursed his lips and jogged over, pulling the heart off.

_The final clue…good for you! Want a prize, want a kiss? The place to eat is where you find this._

_-Your Queen_

Jess' eyes widened slightly, and he felt his cheeks flushing. A kiss? From Leslie? Well, he'd never even imagined – okay, that's a lie. He'd imagined it a lot. But this was proof that she wanted to kiss him, too. It was all there, etched forever in white crayon, in his hands.

"Maybelle." He was aware his voice was a few octaves higher than usual, but he didn't care. "Where's the place to eat?" His sister gave him an exaggerated strange look.

"The cafeteria." She rolled her big brown eyes as Jess blinked.

"Right." With that, he shoved the heart in his pocket and began running.

Once he got there, he immediately found Leslie's head of bright blonde hair across the crowded room, seeing as it was lunch time. She was standing alone, leaning against the wall in the corner, her small hands clasped together as she looked around.

Jess couldn't help but stop and stare at his best friend. She'd gone all out for Valentine's Day: boots, jeans, a white shirt with an intricate red design, and black cut-off socks on her arms.

Okay, she looked totally the same. Except for the small red clip that was pinning her short bangs back on her head. Jess smiled slowly. He hadn't got a good look at her all day, since he was supposed to be upset at her. After a moment, her blue eyes met his and she grinned, pushing herself off the wall. Jess blinked, realizing he'd been standing there longer than needed, and hurriedly made his way over to her, feeling his cheeks blush in nervous anticipation.

"Hey Jess." She said softly, still smiling as he avoided her eyes.

"Hi Les." He mumbled, staring at his feet and linking his fingers together anxiously. "So uhm, I found all the clues."

"You want your reward?" She asked slowly, her voice still quiet. Jess bit his lip, glancing at her through his brown hair that had fallen across his eyes, before nodding. Her smiled brightened. "Good, I can't wait to give it to you. But first, I wanted to say I was sorry."

"Sorry?" He questioned, blinking slightly.

"For being mean to you yesterday. Well, I think I was mean. You got mad so I'm assuming I was mean." She paused. "But I came up with the perfect way to make it up to you. Ready now?" He nodded again, this time more quickly. "Perfect. Close your eyes."

Jess took in a cleansing breath as he closed his eyes, squaring his shoulders to make himself feel – and look – taller. Or at least attempt. He absently let his lips pucker slightly.

"Now. Open your mouth." She instructed. Jess wrinkled his nose and opened his eyes halfway.

"What?"

"Just _do_ it." She rolled her eyes. Jess eyed her with a strange look, but sighed and closed his eyes again.

"I don't think opening your mouth comes till later – "

"I know what I'm doing, Jess." Leslie assured him, her hands still clasped together. Jess rolled his eyes behind his lids before hesitantly opening his mouth, an unsure expression present on his features. He was immediately aware probably the whole cafeteria was staring at him now, even though they were in a corner. Actually, being in a corner might attract even more attention.

"Okay, go." Jess said after a moment, listening to Leslie shuffle her feet slightly, a crinkling noise faintly meeting his ears. He heard Leslie take a deep breath, and he felt her moving closer, the warmth of her skin radiating onto his.

And then, before he realized what was happening, something unfamiliar and not at all what he was expecting was in his mouth. Jess' eyes shot open in surprise as he spit the object into his hand, and Leslie began laughing. In his hand was a damp chocolate kiss. Leslie sighed as she resorted to chuckling, then saw the look of pure, embarrassed terror on her best friend's face and started laughing all over again.

"W-what, Jess, am I not a good kisser?"

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**Fin. Mistakes? Tell me. Reviews? Leave some.**


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